City to seek options for biosolids

Penticton’s favourite garden compost may soon be a thing of the past, as the city announced Friday it’s exploring other options for dealing with organic sludge leftover from the sewage treatment process.

At present, biosolids from the city’s wastewater treatment facility are hauled to Campbell Mountain Landfill.

Once there, they’re mixed with wood and other organic waste and turned into compost that’s then sold to the public for use in home gardens.

“Although this simple process has worked reasonably well for many years, facility age, condition, site regulations, marketing challenges, landfill needs and development pressures have created the need to review operations,” public works manager Len Robson said in a press release.

“We are taking the opportunity to look at all the available options and plan for the future.”

Robson is set to appear before council Tuesday to ask for permission to issue a request for proposals from engineering firms to study those options, which could include digesting the material at the wastewater treatment plant, burying it, pelletizing the waste or applying it to lands.

Council previously approved a $125,000 budget for the engineering work.